Fix long and corrupt filenames

In Windows 95, Microsoft extended the allowable length of filenames beyond the former 8.3 convention. But filenames longer than 255 characters (or 260 characters in Vista) are still a problem; typically, such files cannot be opened or run, and often they cannot be renamed or deleted using Windows Explorer. File/Folder Clean-Up Tool (Long Path) purports to solve this problem by providing an Explorer-like interface with which to find and delete files and directories with long or corrupt names. Unfortunately, the trial version of the tool disables the actual delete function. With a price tag of $19, this application makes the prospect of learning a few DOS commands look almost appealing.

Part of what will gall you about spending the money is the bare-bones interface. Granted, the application was built to perform a single task, so a Help file may have been overkill, but still: a few words of guidance would have been nice. On the plus side, with only one function to fulfill, the application simply runs without installing a file.

If your machine is overrun with files with long or corrupt names and you have $19 burning a hole in your pocket, this application may be worth a try. Otherwise, we recommend you check out other utilities that are free or offer more trial features.